Hello, I just purchased a new iMac, running Yosemite, and am running into a port problem with Vuze. Specifically, the port Vuze wants to open for uploading remains firewalled or closed. When I run a NAT/Firewall test, I get the following message: "NAT Error--Connection Timed Out." Then a series of numbers. Also, it is only the outgoing TCP port that seems to be blocked; the incoming UDP port is fine. I spoke with Apple the other day, and they said the problem is not with the computer or the router, but with the third-party software (i.e., Vuze), and this seems to be true. I downloaded utorrent, and it is uploading just fine.
Could someone help?
pch
First off the fact that you can upload "just fine" does not mean you are connectible (aka have your torrenting ports forwarded). It is possible to not be connectible and still upload and download.
So let me start off by explaining that.
If you are connectible you can initiate a new connection to a peer in a swarm and any peer in the swarm can initiate a connection to you.
If you are not connectible only you can initiate that connection.
In other words:
Both users connectible the users connect.
Only one user connectible the users connect but only after the non-connectible user initiates the connection (this can take up to 1 tracker announce period which is generally in the 30 - 60 minute range).
Both users not connectible . . . the users will never connect.
So as long as there is at least one connectible user in the swarm (the group of all leechers and seeders) even when you are not connectible you can still download and/or upload.
To make your self connectible there are several methods.
Method one is to manually forward your torrenting ports in all of your firewalls (this is what most experts recommend).
Those firewalls can include, but are not limited to, the following:
the software firewall on your iMac
The hardware firewall on your after-market stand alone wireless router.
The hardware firewall on your after-market stand alone wired router.
The hardware firewall on your ISP supplied router, modem, router and modem, or most likely your router/modem (both in one box).
The easy way to forward your ports is to uPnP on whatever program you are trying to use and on all of your firewalls.
On Vuze uPnP is an optional plug-in. I believe in uTorrent for Mac it is included as part of the basic distribution. For that reason it is possible that is why you are not connectible with Vuze but you are with uTorrent or it could be that you are not connectible with either but for whatever reason the torrent you tried to download with Vuze did not have enough time to find other peers before you gave up and or there were no connectible peers at the time. Then when you either tried a different torrent on uTorrent for Mac there were connectible peers, or you used the same torrent there were connectible peers then and or you waited long enough to connect to those connectible peers when you used uTorrent for Mac or something along those lines.
If you want to go the manual port forwarding route (again which most experts suggest) head over to port-forward.com for help.
If you just want to use uPnP . . . download the plugin . . . and enable uPnP in all of your firewalls. Or even better just disable all of your firewalls other than the firewall in your modem/router your ISP provided and just enable uPnP on your modem/router.
The software firewall on your iMac is pretty useless other than protecting you from someone else on your LAN and since this is a home network . . . the only people who might be on your LAN who are trying to access your iMac also have physical access to your computer . . . it is far far far far easier to physically access your iMac and get whatever someone might want than it is to even think about doing it over the LAN so really on home networks which are secured properly those software firewalls are a joke.
As for the other firewalls you really do not need more than the one in your modem/router. If someone can get by that firewall they are going to get by all of them there is just no need to have all of those other firewalls in a home network. Yes you should have a good secure wireless password but that is about it other than the hardware firewall on your modem/router.
There is a lot to digest here . . . if you have questions fire away!